


Missing Scenes

by Orange17



Series: When You Come Back to Me Again [3]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Bad Jokes, Endgame Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, F/F, Implied/Referenced Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Scheming, Snark, Why is Pussy Willows not a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-05 08:45:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14040495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orange17/pseuds/Orange17
Summary: Missing/fill-in scenes from the earlier portions of the series.





	1. Operation Icy to Haught

Erin sighed as she slowed her cruiser to a stop, flipping on her lights then her siren for a few seconds to attract the attention of the female currently caught in her headlights.

“Good evening, ma’am,” the deputy called as she stepped out of her cruiser. “Nice night to water the school’s flowers, isn’t it?”

The woman, with dark brunette hair, slowly rose from her squatted position, with a smirk, “I wouldn’t call what I’m passing ‘water.’ More like, spent liquor.”

“Somehow, I don’t think the school would like its entrance to smell like urine or alcohol,” Erin replied, striding closer to the other woman to the sound a zipper being pulled up.

Struggling with the button of her leather pants, the woman replied, “If they didn’t want that, then they’d have left the door unlocked so I could pee in a toilet instead of killing their flowers.”

“And peeing in an empty elementary school at 1 a.m. is less weird than peeing outside of it?” the blonde quipped.

“Ok, fair point.”

Erin watched as glassy blue eyes finally met her own, the woman’s features clouded with apprehension and strain, as if the woman was trying to fight through her intoxicated state to keep her wits about her.

The officer doubted the woman in front of her was in any state to fight or run, but she knew better than to take anyone for granted. Erin mentally filed away every detail she could soak in from the other woman’s appearance: from her boots to how she carried herself as if she had lived through more pain than her age showed. The blonde’s eyes locked on the Colt Buntline Special holstered to the woman’s hip.

“Who are you?” the woman asked.

Erin’s gaze rose at the question to see wary, dazed eyes narrowed as the leather-clad woman scanned the officer.

“I was going to ask you the same question,” Erin drawled, hands resting on her belt.

Taken aback by the way the woman recoiled from the note of authority that unconsciously slipped into her tone, the blonde changed tack.

“I’m Deputy Reid, just started a few days ago…I’d shake your hand, but I really don’t want to find out the hard way if you peed on it.”

The woman snorted at the comment, “Fair enough. I’m Wynonna.”

“Happen to have your ID on you, Wynonna?”

Erin vigilantly watched as Wynonna’s hands fumbled for the back pocket of her leather pants and produced her license.

“Thank you, happen to have a permit for that too?” the officer added, nodding at the holstered gun, as she reached for the ID.

“Shit,” the dark-haired woman muttered, brushing her hair back with her hand. “Um, no.” 

Erin quickly glanced down at the license, “Well Ms. Earp…wait, Earp?”

The officer pulled her eyes back to the woman in front of her, to see dejection evident in the features of Wynonna’s face and body language.

“Are you related to Waverly?” the officer inquired.

“Yeah, she’s my sister,” the Earp replied, a reluctant smile pulling at the corners of her lips as if the other woman couldn’t resist at the mention of her sister.

“So, if your sister is the ‘Nicest Person in Purgatory,’ as everyone at the station tells me, why does she glare at me every time I see her?”

Wynonna pushed out a sigh, “Oh, don’t mind her, she’s just a Haught mess right now.” 

“A what?”

“A _Haught_ mess. She’s missing Officer Haughtshot.”

“Haughtshot?”

“She’s missing Nicole freaking Haught. Jeeze, where did Nedley find you…” blue eyes narrowed as something clicked into place in the dark-haired woman's inebriated brain, "....you're friends with Officer Haughtstuff.”

The new deputy was briefly grateful for how quickly news spread through small towns.

Erin smirked, “Yep, I just always referred to her as Haughthead or Haught Toddy."

"Haught Toddy?" the Earp questioned, head tilting to the side.

The deputy felt the smirk on her face grow, "Because her sweet as honey demeanor doesn’t quite cover up her whiskey-esque burn.”

Wynonna barked out a laugh, “I like you, Reid.”

\--

“But I passed the test,” Wynonna huffed, arms crossed as she lounged in the backseat of Erin’s cruiser.

“I’m not sure what you know about field sobriety tests but falling over is an automatic fail…and peeing outside didn’t exactly help your case.”

“So, Officer Haught.”

“Yes…” Erin replied hesitantly, shifting her vehicle into drive. “What about her?”

“Hmm…do you…play for the same…team…as her? If you catch my drift.”

The blonde laughed, “Yes, why?”

“Oh, just wondering if I can use my body to get out of this…you should know, Officer Haught has described my ass as ‘top shelf.’”

“I can’t confirm that from here, but she’s never led me astray before…”

“So…”

Erin glanced in the rearview mirror, to see the drunk woman wiggling her eyebrows suggestively from the backseat.

“Not a chance, Earp.”

\--

“Well this is a major buzzkill,” Wynonna huffed from inside a holding cell, as the lock clicked shut.

“Should’ve stayed in the bar if you wanted to keep buzzing,” Erin called over her shoulder as she walked away.

“They cut me off. What’s the point in staying in a bar if you can’t drink?”

 --

“Up-and-at-‘em Earp,” Erin called, turning the key to unlock the cell door.

Wynonna groaned as she rolled over on the bench, eyes still closed, “Five more minutes.”

“If you want a ride without having to phone a friend, you’ll get up now.”

Blue eyes shot open, wide with surprise. “What?”

“My shift just ended, you want a ride? The offer stands for the next ten seconds.”

“Shit, yes,” Wynonna answered, scrambling to her feet.

Erin slammed the door closed, “So, am I taking you to the address on your ID?”

The two walked down the hallway, toward the exit.

“God no. Waves has been moping around the homestead so anywhere but…plus we need to strategize.”

“We? Strategize?” Erin questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

“Duh.”

The blonde twisted, unsure what to make of look in Wynonna’s blue eyes that was wild and wicked all at once.

Muttering a quick “wait here,” the officer veered down another hallway and hurried to the locker room. Once inside, she pulled a small bag from the back of her locker and quickly changed.

When she returned to the entry, the Earp, not subtly, looked her up and down taking in her nondescript jeans, gray t-shirt, Calgary Flames hat, and the simple navy hoodie in her hand.

“You changed?”

“Yep,” Erin replied, pulling on the hoodie. “We’ll take my Jeep too.”

As they walked out the doors, she caught Wynonna’s gaze fixated on her once again.

“What?” she asked impatiently, noting how the Earp’s blue eyes quickly averted as she unlocked her Jeep.

“That’s not the hat you usually wear, right? The other one has a different logo on it.”

Erin sighed tiredly, regretting whatever she got herself into, and forcing her thoughts back to her friend.

Nic was the only reason she offered to drive the Earp home; to gauge if Waverly was missing the redhead enough that there was hope for the couple.

The blonde’s mind flashed to what she noticed about the younger Earp every time she ran into her: the visible pain in the small brunette’s eyes.

Sighing again and rubbing her eyes, Erin knew that the obvious anguish didn’t necessarily mean the two could work it out.

“No, it’s not. The other one is a Quebec Nordiques hat…this one has a Calgary Flames logo on it,” the blonde answered, climbing into her Jeep.

Wynonna plopped into the passenger seat and asked, “Why the change?”

Putting her key in the ignition, the deputy shrugged, “I always keep a set of street clothes in my locker, just in case, y’know plain things that won’t draw attention to myself if I need to fly under the radar. Just a habit I carried over from my time in Vancouver. In this neck of the woods, a Nordiques hat will draw much more attention than the local team.”

The Jeep roared to life.

“And…you’re worried that I’m stealing you off to some secret undercover mission Reid?” the Earp mocked.

“No, just assuming I don’t want to be seen in my uniform wherever we’re going, and it was this or birthday suit.”

The blonde smirked as she continued, “Though after your offer last night, you might have enjoyed that.”

Blue eyes rolled dramatically from the passenger seat as Erin threw the Jeep into reverse and backed out of the space, “Where to Earp?”

\--

“Pussy Willows?” Erin questioned, reading the sign aloud as she pulled her Jeep into the parking lot, the sun just barely clearing the horizon.

“Best eatin’ in town,” Wynonna declared.

Parking her Jeep next to the sign, Erin glared at the woman next to her to see a wide, shit-eating grin spread across the Earp’s face.

“Earp, what are we doing here?” the blonde questioned.

“What?” the dark brunette asked innocently. “Something wrong?”

“I hate to break it to you, but I’m not really… _hungry_.”

“After a long night shift? You deserve to be treated to the finest breakfast in town,” the Earp replied, unbuckling her seatbelt and hopping out of the vehicle. “After all, it’s the most important _meal_ of the day.”

Wynonna popped her head back into the Jeep as she added, “No joke, it’s got the best breakfast buffet in Purgatory. They even make their own donuts!”

Grumbling slightly, Erin unbuckled her seatbelt and followed the Earp into the club.

\--

“Ok,” the officer stated, wiping her mouth with a napkin, “Watered down beer and shots of whiskey aside, this was the best breakfast I’ve had since moving to town.”

Chewing around a mouthful of potatoes, the Earp whined, “You didn’t even have a donut!”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Erin sighed, taking a sip of her beer. “So, what are we scheming…from a strip club…at 7:30 a.m.?”

Ignoring the question, the woman next to her flagged down a bartender and ordered four more shots.

“How well do you know Haught?” the Earp finally asked.

Puzzled by the guarded look in Wynonna’s eyes, Erin chose her words carefully, “Pretty well, I suppose.” 

The corners of the Earp’s lips twitched slightly downward in a small frown and her eyes took on an almost cagey glow as the woman clipped, “You know she hurt my baby sister, right?”

The bartender returned, setting the glasses of amber liquid in front of the pair, and Erin was grateful for the brief reprieve. Her mind raced, and fingers automatically twisted her watch, as tried to find the best words to answer to Wynonna’s question.

The officer wasn’t used to this new, fidgety habit; She could stay calm and cool in _any_ situation…apparently unless it involved her friend.

Forcing her hands to still, she picked up one of the shot glasses and held it up to the Earp. The other woman mirrored the action, and Wynonna’s guarded blue eyes met the deputy’s.

“It wasn’t intentional. Nic... panicked.”

Erin raised her glass to her lips and downed the shot, watching Wynonna do the same out of the corner of her eye.

“But she still hurt her,” the Earp added, pounding the empty shot glass on the bar top and picking up the other, twisting it slowly in her fingers.

The deputy watched as a blue-eyed gaze fixated on the amber liquid as it sloshed from side to side. Erin could practically hear the wheels turning in the Earp’s mind. Shifting her gaze, the officer noted the conflicted body language in the other woman; almost as if Wynonna fluctuated between defending her sister and forgiving Nicole.

The Earp twisted quickly toward her, shot-glass still in hand, narrow eyes alert. She slowly lifted her glass slowly toward her mouth but paused just before the small tumbler touched her lips.

Eyes peering over the rim of the little glass, Wynonna asked, voice small, “Does she miss her?”

Slowly lifting the last shot glass, Erin locked her eyes on the narrowed blue ones across from her and replied easily, “More than she would ever admit…I don’t think she knows how to fix this.”

Wynonna drained her glass, and the officer followed, feeling the liquid burn her throat.

Smacking her lips together, Wynonna refilled her beer glass from the pitcher in front of them.

“That’s where we come in. How do we get these dumbass lovebirds back together?”

\--

“But every good scheme needs a name,” Wynonna whined.

The blonde snorted into her pint glass, “I’m sorry, your _heirness_ , but Operation Icy to Haught is just lame.”

“Then what’s your great idea deputy? Oh wait, you don’t have any! And the whole goal is cold shoulder to warm bed!”

“I don’t think talking them into getting drinks with us, without knowing the other will be there, is that much of a plan,” Erin replied, rubbing her tired eyes. “And definitely not grand enough to warrant a code name.”

“No, but it’ll work,” the Earp replied, rolling her eyes as she sipped her beer.

“Hmm…but if it doesn’t…we need a good back-up…”

The officer absentmindedly sipped from her own glass, mind running through alternatives.

“I’ll think of something,” the blonde replied, slowly, “but find out your sister’s next few shifts at Shorty’s.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to swoop in and show her what she’s missing,” Erin rolled her eyes. “No, so I can work on a Plan B.”

“Easy there officer, you’re not even her type.”

Erin felt her eyebrows rise as she turned to better look at Wynonna.

“Oh, don’t get all offended…you’re definitely my type blondie,” the Earp winked.

“Even if I thought you were serious, I am entirely too tired for that right now,” Erin yawned. “And neither of us should drive…I’ll call Nic to get us.”

“Oh no, she’ll get all Haught-and-bothered if she knows where we are.”

The blonde fumbled for her phone, “Then I won’t tell her that.”

“Anddd maybe don’t tell her I’m here.”

\--

“Wynonna and I might get drinks tomorrow, want to join us after your shift?”

Erin fought a smirk as her friend choked on a swig of water as they stood in her kitchen.

It was futile, the corner of her lips tugged up automatically as her friend exerted to swallow the liquid as she gasped, “What?”

“ _The heir,_ ” the shorter woman knew the smirk on her face only continued to grow, “has requested our presence at the local tavern…who am I to decline an invitation from such _royalty_.”

A hollow laugh reached Erin’s ears as her friend turned toward the window.

Staring at Nicole’s back, she pressed, “So, are you in?”

“Umm…is, um, Waverly going to be there?”

Erin’s chest tightened at the despondent tone in her friend’s voice. Even though the taller woman had her back turned toward her, the redhead’s body language showed just how…lost…her friend was.

“I don’t know, does it matter?” the blonde asked, even though her friend’s appearance made it clear that it did.

A ping from the shorter woman’s phone interrupted them.

“Ah, speak of the _heir_ …actually, no-go for tomorrow,” Erin frowned as she read the text.

The Heir [5:21 p.m.]: ughhh waves is freaking out that Haughtie will come along. I can’t talk her into it. SOS I repeat SOS this is not a drill

Erin quickly flipped her phone to silent just as another text came through.

The Heir [5:21 p.m.]: waves works tomorrow afternoon and then is off the day after. you better have a plan B in mind Reid

“Since when do you and Wynonna text?”

The clipped muttering from Nicole pulled Erin’s attention back to her friend. 

Ignoring the comment, the blonde peered at her friend over her phone as an idea clicked into place. 

“Plan B! _We’re_ going out. Just you and I. You need outta the house anyway,” Erin chirped.

“No, um, I’d rather stay in.”

“Rather be here where you won’t run into Waverly?”

“No…I wouldn’t mind running into her…”

As the redhead trailed off, Erin plopped onto a barstool, ensuring her facial expressions didn’t tip her hand as she replied, “Oh really? That’s news to me.”

The blonde watched as her friend rubbed the back of her neck, hesitancy clouding the taller woman’s tone as she slowly answered, “Yeah, um, I, um, miss her…”

Unable to hold back an eye roll, Erin quipped, “You’ve missed her this whole time.”

“Yeah…but I think I’m ready to see her…if she, um, wants to see me.”

\--

After dinner, Nicole hopped in the shower, and Erin pulled her phone from her pocket, quickly firing off a text while her friend was occupied.

Erin [6:58 p.m.]: Plan B is a go.


	2. First Rodeo

“Nicole, Nicole, Nicole! It escaped!”

Erin slowly lifted her gaze from the report she was working on to take in the young man that practically lived in the BBD office…doing whatever they got up to there? Nicole had been super vague about it.

What was his name? Jeremy?

He had sprinted away from the mysterious office space, skidded into the bullpen, slid into the front desk, hard, and knocked the wind out of himself. For a nerdy looking guy, his reactions must have been better than Erin suspected as he quickly held onto the desk to keep himself upright, as he winced, gasping for air.

“Nicole left an hour ago, kid.”

Panic quickly replaced the pain on his face. The blonde watched as his eyes darted around the bullpen, presumably looking for another confidant or ally…who was already in on whatever he was talking about…

“What escaped?” she asked firmly, still not moving.

“Um, uh, nothing!” the young man answered, feigning cheer with a smile. “J—just a dog. Yeah, a dog!”

“A dog? Jeremy, I don’t even know you, but you’re a terrible liar,” she finished the sentence on her report, stood, and moved to the front desk.

“How did you know my name?” he asked in awe; Erin filed away the observation that he was, seemingly surprised, that anyone would go out of their way to find out anything about him.

If she weren't worried that whatever the damn kid did was about to burn down the building, her heart would’ve gone out to him.

“I’m observant,” Erin stated, smugly crossing her arms over her chest. “And I happened to observe a certain deputy marshal, y’know the one that you take your marching orders from, leave with Wynonna, oh about 3 hours ago, muttering about where they were headed. Based on the time of night, they’re out on surveillance, right? So even if they’re doing it from their vehicle, they’re 45 minutes out, at least. Nicole went to the homestead, so she’s 20 away, even with lights and sirens. Which means, I’m _all_ the help you got kid.”

The officer smirked as she finished. The way the kid’s face paled and eyes continued to, nervously, dart confirmed that she was right.

She leaned in, lowering her voice, “Jeremy, I know whatever shit you guys get up to is classified because Nicole got super nervous, just like you, when I asked about it when I first came to town.”

Erin paused, seeing how the anxiety in Jeremy’s wide eyes grew at the mere mention of the word “classified.” She inwardly cursed Dolls and changed her approach.

“Nicole told me you’re something like a genius...so smart kid, you know what I did in Vancouver, right?”

“Yes!” the young man piped up enthusiastically, apprehension fading from his features at the opportunity to share his knowledge, “Yes! You were working undercover with your partner, Doug Fleury, and Detective Robin Michaels, to bring down a drug ring. Things escalated quickly, and you shot the kingpin and injured another key leader who broke and ratted out everyone involved, which was kind of national news. Oh, and your partner and the detective were killed by the ring's leader. So, you kind of got retribution.”

Erin unconsciously grabbed the desk and leaned heavily on the counter at the casual mention of Doug and Robin’s deaths. The pair were more influential as mentors than they would ever know; that pain still knocked the wind from her lungs every time. 

“Oh, shit sorry,” Jeremy’s eyes bulged, and he clapped his head with his hand. “I really need to retake that sensitivity training.”

She waved it off, forcing herself upright, “No, you’re right. But the important part of all that shit is that, as much as anyone, I know how to keep a damn secret and keep my cool. I don’t need to know what’s going on, only how to kill or trap whatever the hell you let get loose. So, you have one chance to tell me what the hell is going on before I break down the door to your office and figure it out myself.”

Jeremy still looked hesitant but slowly added, “Well, that’s one of the problems…we don’t exactly know how to kill it…and Dolls would kill _me_ if I let you in.”

Erin ran the heel of her hand along her forehead, frustrated with the guarded deputy marshal. She couldn’t help but watch the enigma of a man from afar, but she had so many more questions that answers from her observations.

“Will Dolls be more pissed if you let me in the office to help, no questions asked from me, or if the damn thing escapes and wreaks havoc all over Purgatory?”

“Fair point…we can freeze it with this gun I invented using some of the widows’ venom…I’m just not the best shot…” Jeremy trailed off then started to ramble. “Doc promised he’d teach me, but he hasn’t yet, and I _really_ want to learn. Especially from him, he’s kind of _amazing_ and how many people get to learn from the best gunslinger in the—”

“Where’s this gun?” the blonde interjected, choosing to ignore the questions formulating in her brain about ‘widows’ and ‘venom,’ as she strode to the BBD office, Jeremy in tow.

“So that’s the complicated part…we need to get past it to get to the gun.”

“Kid,” Erin groaned. “Is this your first rodeo with…whatever the hell this thing is?”

“Well yeah,” Jeremy stated enthusiasm shining through in his tone and eyes wide with excitement. “We’ve never seen one before, which is super cool, and haven’t been able to find any documentation of this exact demonic creature. I want to call it ‘the Jeremy’ but Wynonna said—”

The officer cut him off again, pretending she didn't notice the word 'demonic,' pressing her ear up against the door to listen, “What are its weaknesses?”

“It doesn’t seem to have a lot, it’s super quick. And silent, so doing that won’t be much help.”

Erin’s mind raced, “What if we distract it? Like use a decoy?”

For once the young man was silent as he thought, “Yeah, that should work…I could get like a chicken or something?”

“Do we really have time for that?” Erin asked, impatience building in her voice.

“Well no…”

“Ok, so how about this. You tell me where this gun is, what it looks like. Then you go in first, it goes after you, I run to the gun and shoot it before it can get to you.”

“Maybeee,” Jeremy replied slowly. “But that’s, kind of, well not kind of but _a lot_ risky for me.”

“Ok then I’ll be the decoy,” Erin shrugged.

“B—but I have lousy aim,” he replied, eyes on the floor. “I’ll miss and it’ll—”

Erin interrupted again, putting a hand up to help cut through the rambling, “I think you’ve got this. C’mon, let’s contain…whatever the hell this is.”

Letting her hand fall, she grabbed the doorknob, and added, “Which way should I run?”

Jeremy had his eyes narrowed in focus, “Left.”

Erin took a deep breath, unsure if the abrupt departure from his chatty demeanor was a good sign or not.

“Ready?”

The young man only nodded.

Shaking her head, and slightly wondering what she was in for, she turned the knob quickly and sprinted through the door.

\--

Fifteen minutes later, Erin sat at the table in the BBD office, holding a towel away from the laceration on her bicep, visible through a wide tear in her uniform shirt.

“Did it stop bleeding yet?” Jeremy called from around the corner, where he was double-checking the lock on the demon’s enclosure.

“Nope, but it’s slowing.”

“Good. We _thought_ its nails weren’t poisonous, but it’s good to know for sure.”

Feeling a little bit like a guinea pig, Erin sighed as she unbuttoned her ruined shirt and shrugged out of it before returning the towel to her wound.

“Here this should help.”

The young man wandered back into view, head down as he applied a salve to a large bandage. When his head lifted, the officer caught how his eyes bulged at her tank-top clad upper body. Jeremy jumped back at the sight, dropping the bandage in his spooked state.

“ _Damn-_ it,” he groaned. “I’ll get a new one.”

The door to the BBD office opened forcibly, bouncing off the wall.

“I _told you_ ,” Dolls snarled as he strode into the office, turning toward Wynonna who trailed closely behind.

Erin watched as the deputy marshal locked eyes on her, eyes bulging as his gaze shifted to take in the broken items and overturned chairs scattered across the office. His eyes finally stopped, lingering on the bandage on the floor.

“Jeremy,” he began, voice dangerously low. “What happened here?”

Erin opened her mouth to speak, but a large hand lifted before a syllable escaped her lips.

“I asked Jeremy," Dolls stated. "You are already out of bounds, deputy. I don’t care if you’re a national hero or not, I _will_ have you charged you with treason.”

The blonde huffed as she slumped back in her chair, lifting the towel to inspect the cut again.

Erin barely listened as Jeremy recounted how the demon escaped, that she was a decoy while he fumbled with the gun, missing twice before freezing the creature, just as it pierced her skin with a long, yellow fingernail.

Unsure if Dolls’ silence at the end of the tale was a good or bad sign, she lifted her gaze to see a sick smile on the deputy marshal’s face.

“Welcome to the club Agent Reid…your undercover experience will be valuable here.”

The blonde sat up quickly at the title, “Oh, can I tell Nic? She loved having something I couldn’t be involved in.”

\--

The officer spent the remaining hours of her shift, tucked away in the BBD office learning about Wyatt Earp, a curse, revenants, and Wynonna’s gun that could send a demon on a one-way trip to fire and brimstone.

Her radio crackled to life, the sheriff’s gruff voice, impatiently yelling, “REID! Where in god’s name are you?”

Hearing the voice not only through the radio but through the walls, she tugged on her ripped shirt, not bothering with the buttons, as she strode to the door.

Poking her head out of the BBD office, she called down the hallway, “Here, Sheriff!”

She heard his heavy footfalls before his head rounded a corner, “Christ, not you too…”

Nedley shook his head, “Never mind, I don’t want to know. Lonnie’s out sick, so you’re filling in for him as payback for…whatever you’ve been roped into here. Enjoy your first double in Purgatory, rookie.”

He turned leaving no room for debate, and Erin groaned.


	3. Cupid Shuffle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't exactly a missing scene, but rather another scheming one-shot that would occur after Nicole's proposal.
> 
> Shout-out to Trash_PandaTO, who's dancing date in [Ride On](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13843485/chapters/31838748) and back-and-forth with me in comments inspired this installment.

“Sure, play it, I don’t care. You’ll _never_ see me attempt the Cupid Shuffle anyways, so what’s it matter to me? I have two left feet, so the odds of even getting me on the dance floor are slim to none,” Nicole asserted. 

Erin rolled her eyes at her friend’s declaration.

The whole crew, Doc, Dolls, Jeremy, Nicole, Waverly, and Wynonna, were tucked away in the BBD offices, open binders spread across the long table in the middle of the room.

Jeremy and Waverly hurriedly thumbed through the binders closest to them, searching desperately for a particular page; the shorter woman sure the page in question was in one of the collections. Doc and Wynonna sat across the table from each other, lazily scrolling through their phones, bantering with Nicole about music. The redhead grumpily sat in her chair, arms crossed and sullen after Waverly slapped her hand away from helping and scolded her for disheveling her research.

The blonde looked up from the laptop in front of her to take in Dolls. The deputy marshal hadn’t moved in the five minutes since he stepped into the room; frozen a few steps inside the office, his eyes bulged in horror at what his office had become. 

“Dolls, sit,” Wynonna called, not even glancing up from her phone. “You’re making me nervous.”

“What…is…this?” he slowly asked, his hesitant tone tipping his hand that he wasn’t sure if he honestly wanted an answer.

“We’re wedding planning!” Jeremy brightly answered.

Erin’s gaze returned to the screen in front of her as she searched for clubs for the couple’s co-bachelorette party.

“Care to bet on that dancing declaration, Haught?” Wynonna asked, returning to songs for the reception.

“Oh, absolutely,” the redhead testily replied.

“I’ve got $50 bucks that says I can get you to dance to Cupid Shuffle _before_ the wedding,” Wynonna proclaimed, stretching her hand toward the taller officer.

Nicole extended her own hand and mumbled, “Easiest $50 bucks I’ll ever make.”

Doc chimed in, “I want in too."

“Really?” Wynonna asked, an eyebrow quirked even though her gaze returned to her phone.

The gunslinger smiled, “I have faith in the good officer’s unyielding demeanor.”

Erin felt a buzz in her pocket, and pulled her phone out to see a new text:

The Heir [2:02 p.m.]: may the odds be ever in our favor

\--

“I didn’t know you were a Hunger Games fan,” Erin stated, walking side-by-side with Wynonna out of the station.

The elder Earp shot her a questioning glare, “Hunger what?”

“The Hunger Games…y’know, the ‘may the odds be _ever_ in our favor’ line.”

“What? No, Waves just went through a phase with it...never mind, anyway, we need to brainstorm how to win this bet.”

The blonde came to a stop just outside the building, arms crossing over her chest, “And what makes you think I’m willing to help you with this?”

“Hmm,” Wynonna mocked, “I don’t know, you get to see your friend make an idiot out of herself. Oh, and I’ll give you 30% of the cut.”

“Make it half and you have a deal.”

“40.”

“Half.”

“Ugh, deal. To Pussy Willows to strategize!”

\--

“But it’s our bachelorette party,” Waverly pouted, bottom lip protruding slightly, “and I want to dance.”

“Nope,” Nicole insisted, sipping her beer. “Last time I went dancing I sprained someone else’s ankle _and_ gave them a black eye.”

Erin snorted into her drink, “And that was just an innocent bystander. She broke two of her date’s toes too.”

Laughter broke out around the table, and the taller officer’s face flushed crimson, matching her hair.

“It’s not funny,” Nicole whined.

“Oh, baby it is,” the younger Earp cooed. “But seriously, I’m a great dancer, all you have to do is follow my lead.”

“Nope. Seriously, I’m down for anything _but_ dancing.”

“Everyone is having a great time! No one will even notice if you’re bad.”  

“Nope,” the redhead repeated.

Erin slid out of the booth, extending her hand to Waverly.

“C’mon Waves, let’s leave Officer Buzzkill behind.”

The blonde added a wink for good measure, and the younger Earp quickly jumped to her feet.

“You don’t mind, do you baby?” the brunette asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet slightly in excitement.

“God, no. Erin, can you do the first dance for me too?” the redhead replied.

The shorter deputy smirked, “Only if I get to enjoy the honeymoon with her too.”

“Hey!” Waverly chimed in, smacking the blonde’s arm.

“Sorry, m’lady,” Erin drawled. “Allow me to make it up to you.”

The blonde offered her left arm to the younger Earp, who immediately looped her arm through. The pair made their way into the growing crowd on the dance floor.

\--

Jealousy coursed through Nicole, as she watched her friend and fiancé move gracefully to the pumping music in the club.

The redhead sat alone in the booth, fuming as she nursed a beer. 

After the fourth guy to ask Doc for mustache grooming tips and the third person to comment on what an adorable couple Dolls and the gunslinger were, the two left for the sports bar across the street. Not long after that, a cute man in a bow-tie bought Jeremy a lemon drop martini and the two had disappeared into the crowd.

Nicole spent the every second since glaring at the dance floor. Though she knew it harmless, she couldn’t stifle the heat that wrapped around her lungs at the sight of her fiancé swaying against her friend.

Wynonna slid into the booth, returning from the bathroom and waving a stack of napkins in the officer’s face, “I picked up so many numbers without even trying! Maybe I should switch teams.”

The redhead irritably bit her the side of her bottom lip, ignoring the Earp’s comment, eyes still fixed on Erin and Waverly. Her fiancé laughed at a comment from the blonde, throwing her head back.

“What’s got you all Haught-and-bothered?” Wynonna clipped, before sipping from her glass. 

As the song changed, Erin’s hands slipped lower on the shorter woman’s hips, pulling the brunette closer. Automatically, the redhead’s teeth clamped harder on her lip.

“Hey, loosen up before you draw blood,” the Earp stated, poking Nicole in the shoulder.

The officer grumbled, shifting her jaw to release her gnawed lip but her gaze never left the pair on the dance floor.

“You know it’s all innocent, right?”

“Yes,” Nicole huffed, sipping her beer.

“Anddd you could cut in, in an instant.”

“I’m a horrible dancer,” the redhead mumbled, embarrassed eyes averting to the table top.

“Hey, look at me.”

Startled by the soft tone of the Earp’s voice, Nicole looked up to see a wide, mischievous grin stretched across the other woman’s face. Her stomach twisted uneasily at the expression.

“There’s a way to fix that, y’know.”

The redhead warily eyed the heir, as she asked, “How?”

“Shots!” Wynonna exclaimed, flagging down a bartender.

\--

“Alright, time to get my fiancé back,” Nicole slurred, unsteadily rising to her feet.

If it weren’t for her inebriated state, she would have heard the squeal of glee that slipped from the older Earp’s mouth.

The redhead turned her back on the table, and marched to the dance floor, making a beeline for Erin and Waverly.

As she wobbled, her intoxicated brain briefly wondered how many shots Wynonna had plied her with; but, as her eyes caught Erin whispering in Waverly’s ear and a smile expanding on the brunette’s face, her mind narrowed, focusing only on her fiancé.

A growl escaped the tall woman’s lips as her friend’s hands shifted to the younger Earp’s butt as they swayed to the music.

Picking up her pace, Nicole pushed people aside as she closed in on the pair. The song ended as the redhead slapped Erin’s hand away.

“Hey!” she snapped at the blonde.

A guilt-free smile spread across Erin’s face as the blonde took a small step back from Waverly, “Sorry, Nic.”

The redhead turned to face her fiancé and pouted, “Baby, I want to dance with you.”

Hazel eyes lit up instantly. The music picked up again, and Nicole felt arms wrap around her neck.

“Put your hands on my hips, baby,” Waverly whispered.

The simple instruction cut through the redhead’s inebriated brain and a twinge of panic settled in her stomach.

Her friend’s encouraging voice carried into her ears, as the blonde clapped her on the shoulder, “You got this, Nic.”

\--

Slipping behind the redhead, Erin caught Wynonna’s eye and subtly nodded before weaving her way through the crowd to the DJ booth.

\--

Wynonna watched as the blonde disappeared into the crowd. She pulled out her phone, firing off a quick text to Doc, as she flagged down a bartender and ordered six shots.

Wynonna [9:48 p.m.]: get your ass back over here

\--

Erin leaned on a wall next to the DJ booth, scanning the crowd and keeping an eye on Nicole and Waverly. She chuckled to herself as an intoxicated Nicole enthusiastically tried to stay in rhythm with the music and failed miserably. Even from afar, the blonde could see the bewildered amusement on Waverly’s face at the redhead’s flailed, off-beat movements.

As another song faded out, Erin watched as Wynonna balanced a tray of shots through the crowd, closing in on the engaged couple. The blonde pushed herself off the wall and turned to the booth, pulling a folded bill from her pocket.

\--

The older Earp maneuvered carefully through the crowd, careful not to tip the tray she stole from the bartender as he delivered her shots.

But navigating through the crowd was a far easier task than avoiding an ungainly Nicole who, in spite of the brief lull in the music, was still fumbling across the dance floor. Wynonna grinned at her baby sister’s face, flushed from a combination of dancing and laughing at her drunk fiancé.

“Haught! More shots!” the heir yelled, gaining the inebriated officer’s attention.

“Shots! My favorite!” the redhead slurred, feet finally slowing. “C’mon baby, Wynonna brought us shots!”

“Peppermint schnapps! Someone told me they taste like Christmas in your mouth.”

“Hey! I said that once!” Nicole exclaimed.

The three women drained two shots apiece.

“Great dancing Haught, keep it up,” Wynonna smirked, before weaving back through the crowd.

\--

“Am I doin’ alright?” Nicole sheepishly asked her fiancé as the elder Earp departed.

“Definitely,” Waverly chuckled, eyes crinkled. “Maybe don’t move your feet as much.”

The taller woman felt arms wrap around her neck again, “But how else do you dance?”

“True. Dance however you want baby.”

Another song faded out, and Nicole felt the warmth from the shots settling into her stomach. The next song started, and the redhead felt Waverly’s arms fall from her shoulders.

“What are you doing?” the officer asked, as the crowd lined up in rows at the tune and one of Waverly’s hands clasped her own.

“Don’t you recognize this song?” Waverly asked, slowly.

“Nope!”

Nicole watched as her fiancé bit her lip to suppress a giggle, “Ok, then just do what the people in front of you do.”

\--

Wynonna wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, trying to hold her phone steady, as she recorded Nicole and Waverly dancing, a dimpled smile spread across the officer’s face as she stumbled along to Cupid Shuffle as it blasted through the club’s speakers.

“I do believe this is sabotage,” Doc huffed, pulling out his wallet. 


End file.
